Haunted Memories
by jewelzgirl
Summary: Harry's life changed drastically when Ginny dies. How will he cope with losing his wife?
1. Broken Promise

Disclaimer: I am not JKR, I do not own Harry Potter or his universe

I am also not a professional writer like JKR. I have dyslexia, and I struggle with writing. There will probably be mistakes since i have a hard time spotting them. Please enjoy the story and try to ignore any mistakes.

I hope you enjoy my story.

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><p><em>Harry felt like the luckiest man alive. He watched as his wife-to-be walked down the petal-covered aisle to him. She wore an elegant white beaded ball gown. Being the only daughter of the Weasley's, the family had gone all out for their wedding. Harry could not take his eyes off of her. Her red hair was elegantly pulled up into a bun, and a delicate tiara graced her head. She was beautiful.<em>

_He could not believe this was happening. There had been a point in his life when he had thought his dreams would never come true. But here was his angel walking toward him. She had been the one to help him pull his life together after the war, and now, they finally were getting married._

_He paid no attention to what was said during the ceremony. He could not take his eyes off of his beautiful bride. He was at least able to say his part, although he had to be poked in the back by his best man to be reminded that it was his turn to speak._

_Finally the time came for him to kiss his bride. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a warm deep kiss. He reluctantly let go, knowing there would be time for more of that later._

_He could not help but smile the whole night. He watched his wife glide around, greeting their guests. The party was huge. Everyone wanted to celebrate with the happy couple. As the party started to wind down, Harry and Ginny shared one more dance before they were to leave for their honeymoon._

_"I am the luckiest man alive." Harry whispered in her ear. She smiled up at him and gave him a peck on the lips._

_"I love you Harry. I promise I will always be with you." She gently laid her head on his shoulder and the two of them enjoyed this quiet moment together._

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><p>Harry stood by the tombstone and felt abandoned once again. It seemed to be his curse to be constantly left behind by those he loved. He stared at the smooth marble, barely able to read the name on it through his tear filled eyes. Although he knew that he had plenty of loved ones still around him, he felt completely alone without her. He did not hear any of the words said about his wife, he just stood there staring.<p>

Finally people started to depart, and Harry started to look around. Most of his colleagues and those who had worked with Ginny left quickly. Their friends from Hogwarts hung back for a bit, some coming up and offering their condolences to him, others just nodding from afar giving him his space.

He saw the Weasley family huddled close to the matriarch of the family. After all, Molly had now buried two of her children, something no mother should ever have to do. She leaned on her frail husband, while the five remaining brothers stood around them to make sure they were alright. It had been hard on all of them to bury the youngest of their family.

Most of the grandchildren and their spouses stood with their mothers close by, except for his own three children, who of course now did not have a mother to take comfort from. He found Teddy amongst the large group. He stood protectively next to Victoire, who was far along in her third pregnancy. He finally spotted his three children huddled close together. He knew that he should be with them, comforting them, however at this moment he could not pull himself to do so.

He turned once again to the place where his wife was laid to rest. His eyes filled with tears again. What was he going to do without his angel?

"Daddy, Grandma said that we should be going to the dinner." Lily said gently to her father. He turned and looked at his eighteen year old daughter. She wore a simple black dress, not quiet weather appropriate for the late spring weather. Her dark auburn hair was pulled up in a ponytail, very much like her mother always wore her hair. Harry smiled weakly at his daughter and gave her a nod.

Right behind his daughter stood James and Albus, both watching their father with concern. James, who had grown to be taller than his father, had his arms wrapped around his young wife. The two of them had decided to marry sooner then they had planned in order to have Ginny there. Albus, who was the spitting image of his father, came up next to Lily. Harry noticed, that although he was wearing a very nice suit, he was still wearing his ragged trainers that he always wore.

"Are you coming dad? I don't think you should Apparate alone. You should come with one of us," his green eyes watching his father carefully.

"I will just be a minute kids." Harry turned back to the tombstone. He suddenly felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his shoulders. He looked up to find Hermione.

"I will make sure he makes it there safely." She quietly told the three grown kids. They nodded and slowly walked to where they would Apperate. Once they had left, Harry realized that they were the last two at the gravesite. He was reminded of a time when the two of them stood not far from here at another gravesite. Back then, he had been young and stupid, and yet she had stood by him anyways as he had mourned his parents. Now here they were nearly thirty years later, and she was still by his side, comforting him.

She did not push him to leave, but just stood quietly by him. Finally Harry stepped closer to the tombstone, conjured up a beautiful bouquet of flower and laid them on his wife's grave. Hermione gave a small smile, recognizing the assortment of flowers that Ginny had used for her wedding bouquet.

"Lets go before they send a search party out for me."


	2. Empty Rooms

Disclaimer: JKR owns the wonderful world of Harry Potter.

Please enjoy!

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><p><em>"Close your eyes," Harry told his wife, "I have a surprise for you."<em>

_"Come on Harry! Is this really necessary? I really am not in the mood. The baby kicked all night, preventing me from sleeping, my back is killing me, and I think I have been to the bathroom every ten minutes." Ginny whined. She had been cleaning the kitchen when Harry had Flooed home. She was exhausted and just wanted to finish her cleaning so she could sit down. When she saw his excited face she reluctantly obliged to Harry's request. He grabbed her hand and Side-Along Apparated her to the front of a large house._

_"Alright, you can open them now." Harry could hardly hold his excitement and nervousness in. He had been planning this for months and finally it was time to reveal his surprise. She opened her eyes and looked at the house in front of her. It was a large two story stone house with a beautiful garden in front. She could tell it was an older home, but well kept up._

_"What is this?" She turned and looked at her husband._

_"Well, this is our new house," he said sheepishly. She continued to stare at him. It took a few seconds for it to sink in._

_"Our what!" She exclaimed. She was not sure if she had heard him right. Harry started to nervously run his hand through his hair._

_"I figured, the flat we are in is kind of small and we might want a bigger place. This was one of the Potter houses that I inherited. It was the smallest of them. Believe me when I say the Potters loved their large homes. So when I found this one I decided to fixed it up and thought I would surprise you with it. The only thing left to be do is the nursery, which I figured you would want a say in that." He nervously watched his wife look from the house, to him, back to the house. Finally a small smile formed on her face._

_"Well are you going to show me the inside, or will we just stand here until I go into labor?"_

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><p>"Dad, are you sure you'll be ok by yourself?" Albus asked hesitantly. He looked at his father sitting at the kitchen table with an untouched cup of tea in front of him.<p>

"Al, we went over this. You have already taken to much time off of work. You have to go back to Norway." Harry looked at his grown son. It was hard to believe that all of his children were grown and out of the house. Albus ran his hand through his black hair, very much like his father often did.

"Alright dad, but if you need anything, let me know. I have a few months left in Norway. I should be home for your birthday and I will have a couple weeks home before they send me off to my next location." Albus put his arm around his dad. It was hard to see his father broken like this. He had always been so strong. "I love you dad."

Harry hardly noticed when Albus left. He was not sure how long he sat there staring at his tea. Eventually he got up and went upstairs. He stared at all of the doors in front of him. When he had fixed up this house he had seen the large number of rooms as potential, enough room for Teddy, the new baby and any other children that might come along. Now all the empty rooms seemed haunted to him. All of his children had now left the house. The house was full of empty rooms.

He stared at the door that led to the master bedroom, the room he and Ginny had shared for 25 years. He had not slept in there since Ginny had left him. He had only entered the room to get some clothes from the closet. He sighed, and walked back down the stairs. He ambled from room to room, finally settling down on the couch in his study.

That was where Hermione found him several hours later, fast asleep. She decided not to wake him, but instead went into the kitchen and started to cook something for dinner. She was sure that he had not eaten a decent meal since the funeral meal three days ago. Even though Albus had been staying here, she knew he was very much like Harry, who really did not do much cooking.

The smell of food woke Harry up from his nap. He was a bit confused by the smell. He thought he was the only one at the house. He went into the kitchen and found Hermione setting the table.

"Oh good, your up. Sit down. The food is almost ready." Hermione pushed Harry into the chair and brought the food to the table.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Can't a friend come over and check on her grieving best friend?" Hermione pretended to be hurt by his words. Harry chuckled softly, something he had not done for a while.

"I didn't mean you shouldn't be here, I was just a bit confused by your presence." Harry started to eat the food in front of him, which made Hermione smile.

"Ron and I decided that you needed someone to check up on you periodically for a while. I knew that Albus was leaving today, and I figured you might be lonely."

"You and Ron were in the same room together?" Harry asked raising his eyebrow.

"Hey, we have been very civil with each other since the divorce. Anyways, there should be someone checking on you every day for the next couple of weeks, or until it seems you are alright."

"I don't need to be watched like a child. I can take care of myself." He was bit upset that his friends thought of him in such a way. He had after all survived many encounters with Voldemort, even faced his own death at 17.

"We know you can take care of yourself physically, it's your emotional state we are worried about. We love you and don't want you to waste away into depression." He looked into her eyes, and saw sincere concern.

"Thank you," he whispered. He was not sure how he would make it through the next few days, weeks, months, and years. He was glad he had such a good friend by his side.

Hermione stayed long enough to wash up the dishes, but then she said goodbye, leaving Harry alone once again. He sat at the kitchen table for a while, unsure what to do. Suddenly he was overwhelmed by a wave of grief. How could he continue on without Ginny?

He sobbed for an hour before he finally calmed down a bit. He wanted to go with Ginny, leave this world, but he knew that was not what she wanted him to do. So instead he decided the next best thing would be to try and forget about the world and be numb to it. He went to the cabinet to see what alcohol he had on hand.


	3. Life Keeps Going

Disclaimer: I did not come up with the world of Harry Potter, I only play in it.

This chapter is one of the shorter ones. I have the next one written, so there is a chance that I might get the next chapter up tomorrow.

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><p>Harry gazed at his newborn daughter in his arms. He could not believe how quickly she had captured his heart. He had been happy and proud when his two sons were born, but there was something different about holding his little girl. Ron had warned him that this would happen. Even Arthur had forewarned Harry that little girls tend to turn their father's hearts into mush.<p>

The little girl in his arms stirred a bit and gave a big yawn. She opened her eyes and looked up to her father. She had the typical baby blue eyes that most newborns have. Harry had a suspicion that they would turn the beautiful brown color that her mother had. The soft fuzz on her head was distinctly red. Harry chuckled at the fact that not all of his children had escaped that Weasley trait.

"Is she up?" Ginny asked sleepily from the bed.

"Yeah, but she is fine. She isn't fussing." He continued to marvel at his beautiful little princess.

"You know we have to decide on a name." She smiled at her husband. Harry had been so nervous about having a girl, and yet here he was completely enthralled by her.

"I know. We can't keep calling her baby girl Potter for the rest of her life."

"How about Lily." Ginny said quietly to her husband. He looked up from the little girl into the beautiful eyes of his wife.

"Are you sure?"

"I think it would be a great name for our daughter." She smiled.

"What about her middle name?" He went back to looking at his daughter who had gone back to sleep in his arms.

"I have a couple of different ideas, but I like the sound of Luna. Lily Luna Potter. But I am open to other names too."

"I think that sounds perfect."

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><p>Lily sat at the table in the restaurant, impatiently waiting. She looked at her watch again. She only had an hour break, and her dad was 15 minutes late. She looked back at the door, and finally saw his salt and pepper messy hair. He spotted her right away and came over to her table.<p>

"I'm sorry I'm late princess," he said. He kissed her cheek and sat down at the table.

"It's ok dad, I know today was your first day back at the ministry. You must be very busy. Is it going alright?" She asked.

"It has been very busy. I missed a lot when I was gone. Thankfully Dennis Creevey has been keeping things together for me. How is training going?"

"It's going alright. My supervisor says I am doing very well. They are giving us harder cases now." She smiled up at her father. She remembered the day she had told her parents she wanted to be a healer. They both were so proud of her. It had taken a lot of work, and some extra help from her cousin Rose, but she managed to get the scores she needed to enter the training program. Here she was, coming to the end of her training.

The two of them ate and talked about different things. Unfortunately time is a cruel thing, and to soon their visit was over.

"How about I come over for dinner this weekend. Maybe we can see if James and Nicola can come over too." Lily tried to act causal about the suggestion, but Harry knew what she was doing. She was a part of the team that insisted he be checked up on. He smiled.

"Sure sweetheart. Sounds good"

He returned to work and got through the day. He had a lot of work to do, so he stayed busy. When he couldn't avoided any longer, he reluctantly returned to the empty house. It was cold and dark, and haunted by memories of the past. He opted not to make dinner, but instead grabbed a bottle of mead from the cabinet. He also grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Guess I will have to go buy some more tomorrow," Harry quietly muttered to himself after noticing there were no other bottles of firewhiskey or any other alcohol left in the cabinet.

He went into the study and sat in front of the telly. When he had first brought it home, Ginny had thought he had gone mad. She didn't understand why he wanted one. Over the years the telly was not used very often. Harry liked to keep up with the muggle world, so he would watch the news occasionally. He also watched the Quidditch games on the Wizarding Channel. Other than that, it was rarely used. But since Albus had left a week ago, he had it on almost constantly when he was home.

Harry turned on the Wizarding channel. A few years after the war, Harry and some muggle born wizards had finally convinced the ministry into developing a channel on the telly, similar to the wireless network they used. There had been a lot of things to work out, and there were lots of bugs in the beginning, but they had finally figured it out. There were still some wizarding families that did not like the idea, but over all it was well liked by the majority of the wizarding population.

A Quidditch match was on the channel. Harry normally loved to watch the matches, but tonight it brought up some anger. If Ginny had not gotten sick and died, she would be at that game and reporting on it. He was angry that she had left him. He threw the nearly bottle of mead at the telly and shattered the glass. He started to sob uncontrollably. After a while Harry calmed down and fixed the telly. He picked up the bottle of firewhisky and drank until he forgot about the world.


	4. Surprising News

Disclaimer:I don't own Harry Potter.

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><p><em>Harry stepped out of the fireplace and found their small flat filled with smoke. He ran into the kitchen to see what had happened. Ginny sat on the floor crying as the meal she had been working sat ruined on the counter.<em>

_"What happened?" Harry asked. Ginny had never made this big of a mess making dinner. Occasionally she would burn the dinner a bit, but never like this. He quickly made the smoke disappear and got on the floor next to Ginny._

_"I…I wanted… to make… a… a perfect dinner…but I ruined it," Ginny was able to get out in between her sobs. He pulled her into an embrace. It surprised Harry to see Ginny like this. She usually was not one to break down like this, especially for something so silly as a ruined dinner._

_"It's ok Gin, We can just order something." He tried to console her. She seemed to be calming down a bit with Harry there next to her._

_"But I wanted to make this big dinner and then during dessert I would share with you the big news, but now it's all ruined." She started to cry again. Harry was a bit concerned. She rarely cried like this. Was there something wrong with her?_

_"Look at me Gin, please." She slowly lifted up her head and stared into his eyes. "We don't need to have a big dinner. And you can still share your big news with me over dessert."_

_"I just wanted everything to be perfect for when I told you we were going to have a baby." She said quietly. It took Harry a moment to comprehend what she had said._

_"Are you… are you pregnant Ginny?" He stared at her beautiful brown eyes. They started to tear up again as she nodded. Harry started to laugh and pulled her into a tight hug. He pulled her up and swung her around. "I'm going to be a dad!" He kept saying. Ginny's sobs turned into laughter as she saw how happy Harry was._

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><p>Lily, James and Nicola stepped into the dark and quiet kitchen. It looked as if no one was home. They were a bit surprised to find it in this state.<p>

"Lil, dad knew we were coming right?" James turned to his sister.

"I talked to him yesterday. I confirmed the time and everything."

"I will go find him. How about you two start making some dinner." James went into the house to look for his father. Nicola, who was looking in the cabinets turned to her sister-in-law.

"How about we order in. There is not much we can make with what is here."

James heard the telly on in the study. He went in and was glad that he had found dad, and not Lily. Harry laid on the couch with an empty bottle of firewhisky in his hand. Several other bottles of various different alcoholic beverages littered the floor. He went over to the couch and gently shook his father.

"Dad, wake up." Harry opened his eyes and saw his son looking at him.

"Son? What are you here for?" Harry was not completely awake yet.

"We are here for dinner." He helped his dad get up.

"That's right, you three were coming over for dinner. I must have lost track of the time." Harry was still trying to wake up.

"Dad maybe you should take a shower before we have dinner," James suggested. Harry nodded and went upstairs to shower. When he left, James looked around the study. A sigh escaped his lips. His father had never been considered tidy, but this was ridiculous. He ran his hands through his messy dark brown hair, and started to pick up the room. James chuckled a bit. For years his father had been the one who complained about how messy James' room was. Now it was the other way around.

By the time Harry returned, all cleaned up and more alert, James had managed to pick up all the bottles and tidy things up a bit. The two of them joined the girls in the kitchen just as the food arrived. Harry managed to put on a smile and enjoy the time with his children.

"Well, I have to go. I have early rounds tomorrow." Lily stood up and gave her dad a hug. "I will see you on Tuesday for our lunch date right dad?"

"Yes princess, I will see you on Tuesday." He smiled and watched her leave.

"We should probably head out too, but before we leave, we wanted to share some news with you." James paused and looked over at Nicola. "We just found out yesterday that Nicola is pregnant. You're going to be a grandpa." Harry's face broke into a smile. He grabbed the two and pulled them into a hug.

"Congratulations you two." Harry smiled at the young couple.

"We wanted you to be the first to hear the news," Nicola said. "We are going to my parents' house tomorrow and telling them." Harry gave them both a hug again before the happy couple left. James hoped that the news would help his father through this hard time. They had not planned on having children so soon, but sometimes things happened when you did not plan them to happen.

Harry was overjoyed by the news that he was going to have his first grandchild. Of course Teddy's children were almost like grandchildren, but this was different.

Then a thought hit him like a boulder. Ginny would never get to meet her grandchildren, at least not on this side of the veil. He once again found himself on the ground sobbing.

"Ginny, why did you have to leave us. We need you. Your family needs you! I NEED YOU!" He shouted. "Dam it, Ginny, you promised you would not leave me."

Harry filled with anger stood up and started throwing things across the room. In a blind fury he wrecked his kitchen in a manner of minutes. He then grabbed another bottle of firewhisky and stumbled into the study. He had nowhere to go until Monday, so he figured he could drink until he forgot about the world.


	5. Almost Drowning

Disclaimer: If you did not already know this, I am not JKR and did not create the world of Harry Potter.

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><p><em>Ginny was giving two-year-old James and baby Albus a bath. Unfortunately it was not going well. James would not sit still, making it nearly impossible to wash either child. She was soaking wet by the time Harry came into the bathroom. He had a big smile on his face.<em>

_"Hello beautiful. I see you have had some trouble with the little ones."_

_"You could say that. Here take James and dry him off while I finish cleaning Albus up." Harry grabbed his wiggly son, managed to dry him, and somehow got him into his pajamas. While Ginny put Albus to bed, Harry sat down and read a story to James. Then Ginny came in and kissed James goodnight._

_Finally the two of them had a moment alone. Harry grabbed his wife and gave her a passionate kiss._

_"What was that for?" Ginny asked._

_"I hadn't given you a proper greeting yet. And I have some great news for you." Harry led Ginny into their bedroom and the two of them sat down on the bed together._

_"Alright, what is your good news?" Ginny asked, giving Harry her full attention._

_"Robards called me into his office today. He and Kingsley had a meeting the other day. They want me to be the Head of the Auror office. Can you believe it?" Ginny stared at Harry, unsure of what to say._

_"Harry, that's incredible. You must be the youngest Head of the department in history. I mean your only 26."_

_"I know. But both Robards and Kingsley said that I have more than shown my ability to lead and run the department. Robards wanted to retire anyways, so he thought what better time then now to have me take over." Harry was overjoyed. He had been working hard to revolutionize the ministry, and this showed how much the ministry truly valued him. The two of them spent the night in bed discussing the possibilities that this promotion would provide._

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><p>Harry sat at his desk trying to focus on the report in front of him. Some days he felt like it was pointless to come into work. Dennis did most of the work for him anyways. He put the report down and put his head in his hands. He did not know what he was doing anymore. Suddenly Hermione came into his office in a huff<p>

"Harry, You made a mistake again!" She yelled at him, throwing a report on his desk. He slowly lifted his head from his hands. She noticed his eyes were bloodshot. She sat down in front of his desk and lowered her voice. "You have to be careful Harry. If you keep this up… well there will be no choice but to remove you." Harry put his head back in his hands.

"I know. I just can't seem to focus. Maybe I should just resign. Dennis could take my place. He does most of my job anyways." Hermione sighed. She hated seeing Harry like this. Never in his life did he just give up like this.

"Maybe you can retire. I mean it's not like you really need the money. You could still come back and help train the recruits. You like doing that." She was really concerned for her friend. He sat there for a couple of minutes, and then finally stood up slowly.

"I'll go talk to the minister. I don't want to make your job any harder." She watched as her best friend walked out of the room looking so defeated.

After talking with the minister and talking with Dennis, Harry returned home. He really had no idea what he was going to do now. Since Dennis had a firm grasp of the department, Harry did not feel like there was any need for him to train Dennis. They all had agreed that Harry would come back and help train the recruits, but that would not be until the summer. He reached into the liquor cabinet, only to find it empty.

"Dammit, I'm out" Harry grumbled to himself. He tried to remember where he had gone last time to restock his cabinet. He was careful not to frequent the same place. Just then Ron stepped out of the fireplace and into his kitchen.

"I just heard you resigned! What is that all about?" Harry really did not want to talk about it, but he sat down and told Ron about his decision.

"I just can't do it anymore Ron, I keep making mistakes, and I can't focus on what I am doing." Harry shoulders slumped. Ron did not know what to do. Even in the darkest of times, Harry had never just given up. Harry had always been the strong one. "Ron, can I ask you a favor? I am out of firewhisky. Could you go out and pick me up a couple of bottles? It helps me sleep at night."

Ron looked his friend over. It did appear as if he had not slept well in days.

"I'll be back in a bit." After Ron left, Harry stumbled into the study and fell onto the couch. He turned on the telly to drown out the silence of the house. When Ron returned he found Harry sound asleep on the couch. He was leaving the bottle of liquor on the table when Hermione stepped out of the fireplace. The two of them stared at each other for a bit, not sure what to do.

"I was just checking on him. I heard that he resigned, and I figured he needed some support." Ron stared at his shoes.

"I'm glad you came over. It was not an easy day for Harry." She gave Ron a small smile.

"Well, he's asleep in the other room, so I am heading out. See you around." And with that Ron left the house. Hermione looked at the bottles Ron had left on the table. She had a feeling that her friend was in deeper trouble then they thought.

"Oh Harry, what are we going to do with you?" She shed a couple of tears for her hurting friend. She had to help him get through this. This was not how Ginny would want him to live his life.


	6. Shouting Match

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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><p><em>"I cannot believe you Harry. You're siding with HER? Your suppose to be on my side! You're MY husband!" Ginny yelled at her husband. A simple misunderstanding had turned into a huge screaming match.<em>

_"I may be YOUR husband, but she is right Ginny." Harry had obviously said the wrong thing. Ginny was so angry that she could not formulate any words. Instead she grabbed the vase from the dresser and threw it at her husband. Luckily his Quidditch skills kicked in and he dodged the vase._

_He did not want to deal with this anymore, so he left the room, slamming the door behind him. A more rational Harry would have thought about the sleeping children down the hall, but the angry Harry did not care. He left the house and apparited to the first place he could think of._

_Ron answered the door holding a wide-awake Hugo. He looked at Harry and without a word let him in the house._

_"Can I ask what brings you here at this hour?" Ron finally asked._

_"Ginny and I had a huge fight, and not our normal squabble, but a full out screaming match ending with your sister throwing a vase at me." Harry plopped on the couch and put his head in his hands_

_"Ron, who was at the door? Oh Harry!" Hermione walked into the room and noticed her dejected friend. She grabbed her son out of Ron's arms. "Why don't you go make some tea for us."_

_Ron nodded and went to fetch the tea. Hermione sat next to Harry, not saying a word, but just offering comfort to him._

_"I really messed things up this time Hermione. I don't know what to do now." He looked to his friend hoping for some consolation. Although Ron was a great friend, when he was going through a hard time, it was Hermione's company that he looked for._

_"Give her some time to cool off. You know that Weasley temper can get pretty nasty, but they cool off eventually." She smiled as her husband came back into the room._

_"I'm sorry for bothering you two so late. I should just go back home." He started to get up, only to have Ron push him back down into the couch._

_"Stay for a bit. Have some tea and let Ginny calm down. As you can see we won't be going to sleep anytime soon." At that moment Hugo started to fuss some more. Harry tried to argued, but both Ron and Hermione wore him down. They sat and talked for a couple of hours until Hugo finally fell asleep in his uncle's arms._

_Harry quietly reentered his home past midnight. He hoever noticed that the light in the kitchen was on. He walked in to find Ginny sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of her. He went over to the table and silently sat down across from her. She conjured up a cup for him and poured him some tea._

_"I'm sorry Ginny. I was being insensitive to you. I messed up." He quietly said into his tea. He was afraid that she would start yelling but thankfully she did not._

_"I am the one that should be sorry." She replied. He looked into her brown eyes, and noticed that they were tear filled. "I blew everything out of proportion." Before they knew it they were embracing each other and making things right again._

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><p>"Aunt Hermione, have you talked to my dad lately. He never showed up to our lunch date today. Usually he lets me know if he can't make it, but he didn't" Lily frantically came into her aunt's office. "He has never missed one of our dates" Hermione looked at her niece. She was obviously worried about her father. She also looked exhausted from work.<p>

"Lil, why don't you go home and get some rest. I will stop by your dad's house after work and see what's going on. He probably just lost track of time." She tried to reassure her niece, but she was just as worried about her friend. He loved his dates with Lily. He never missed them unless it was unavoidable.

When Hermione stepped into Harry's kitchen she noticed a big difference since the last time she had been there a week ago. How could things have gotten this bad in just a week? There were a dozen or more bottles of various different kinds of alcohol thrown all over the kitchen. The dishes in the sink were piled up, and the trash was full. She noticed a few more bottles in the trash as well.

She knew exactly where he was. She walked into the study to find it in just as bad, if not worse shape then the kitchen. Over the past month She had noticed that Harry was drinking more than he should, but she did not realize how bad it had gotten. Concern was replaced by anger. Ginny would never have allowed this. Since Ginny was not here, Hermione knew it was her job.

She summoned a bucket and filled it with ice-cold water. She then threw it on her friend asleep on the couch.

"Bloody Hell! Hermione!? What the hell are you doing?" he yelled at her.

"Your daughter came to see me today," Hermione yelled back at him.. "You missed your date with her today. She is worried about you, and after seeing this mess, she has every right to be worried."

"I will send her a letter apologizing for missing the date. And so what if my house is a mess, I haven't felt like cleaning up lately. What does it matter anyways, it's not like anyone else lives here." His eyes were filled with anger. No one likes to be woken up with cold water, especially if you have a hang over. He was not pleased with Hermione.

"A mess? Harry I was here last week. You obviously have done nothing except drink. Are you trying to drown yourself, or fill up your system with enough alcohol that you become flammable?" Hermione kept on staring into Harry's angry bloodshot eyes. She was not backing down.

"What do you care Hermione? I am not hurting anyone." He shouted back at her. At this Hermione started to tear up.

"Not hurting anyone? Oh Harry, don't you see, seeing you like this is hurting me. This is not you. If you kids find out, it will break their hearts too." She broke the eye contact they had maintained throughout their shouting match, and turned her back on him. "I will clean up the kitchen and get us some food."

Harry fell back into the couch. How could he have let this happen? He heard her leave the room. He knew she was right. Hermione was always right. But this was the only way he was making it through the day right now.

Hermione walked into the kitchen and looked around again at the mess. She sat down at the table and cried for a couple of minutes. How did she not see this? How did she let it get this bad? She had failed.

She heard Harry go upstairs. She knew the only reason he went upstairs was to shower. She wiped the tears from her eyes and got to work in the kitchen. By the time Harry came back down the kitchen was clean, and a pot of tea was brewing. He stood in the door way watching her search the cabinets for something to eat

"You won't find anything in the cabinets. I don't think there has been real food since Ginny went to the hospital."

"That's ok, I can run to my place and grab something. Here, drink some tea and I will be back in a flash." She pushed Harry into a chair, something that was much easier than it should have been. She places a cup in front of Harry, and Flooed to her flat before he could say a word.

She returned a few minutes later and found Harry staring at the cup. She got a stew started and then sat in front of Harry, who still hadn't touched the tea.

"I really made a mess of things, didn't I?" Harry said quietly.

"I know this has been hard on you, but you have to remember that you are not alone. Your children love you and are worried about you. The whole Weasley family has been asking Ron about you. We all love you so much, and want to see you be yourself again.

"I don't know if that is possible. When Ginny died, a part of me died with her. I don't know how to be Harry without her. I don't know how to live without her. So I drank. I drank to forget. I drank to stop feeling this way. I drank because I did not know what else to do."

Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand. Her warm hands were such a comfort to him. He looked into her warm brown eyes.

"Please, let me help you Harry." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear.


	7. Birthday Party

Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry do not belong to me, I just play with them.

* * *

><p><em>"Come on Harry, Mum will be mad with me if we are late." Ginny pulled him toward the garden behind the burrow.<em>

_"This isn't going to be a big party is it?"_

_"Of course it is," Ginny flashed him a mischievous grin. Harry groaned. He hatted big affairs, especially if he was the center of attention._

_As they rounded the corner Harry saw more people then he ever expected. It seemed as if every living person who knew Harry was in attendance. He could not believe it._

_"It looks like your mom outdid herself again."_

_"Harry, a year ago we did not know if any of us would survive the war. This is not just your birthday celebration, but also a celebration of life, and hope for the future."_

* * *

><p><em>"Keep your eyes closed dad," Thirteen-year-old Albus kept reminding his father.<em>

_"Are you three going to tell me what's going on?" Harry laughed at his children's antics. The three of them had trapped Harry in his study for hours. Then they made him close his eyes and they led him somewhere, his guess was the garden since they had not left the property. Finally they stopped._

_"Ok daddy, you can open them," Lily finally said. When Harry opened his eyes he was greeted by a large crowed of people._

_"Surprise!"_

_Ginny came running over to him, wearing a very beautiful green dress. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and led him over to a table with a large cake on it._

_"You didn't think that we would forget about your fortieth birthday?" She gave him a mischievous smile._

_"You know how I feel about big events like this." He shot her a glare._

_"I know, but I got so many letters asking if I was doing something, that I felt like I needed to."_

_They had lots of fun. The children ran around playing different games, and causing lots of mayhem while the adults relived their younger days through stories of the past. As the party started to wind down, Harry noticed for the first time that his wife was not her usual self._

_"Are you feeling alright?" He asked when they had a moment to themselves._

_"I'm fine, just a bit tired. I have been overworking myself." She gave him a warm smile, but he noticed the dark circles under her eyes._

* * *

><p>"I don't know if I can do this Hermione." Harry whined. He had been trying to weasel out of his birthday party for several days. Hermione glared at him, tired of this battle.<p>

"Harry, we have talked about this. Your kids have worked hard at planning this party. James, Albus and Lily want you there. The whole Weasley family wants to see you. Most of them haven't seen you since the funeral." She was tired of this. Harry frustratingly ran his hands through his hair. He obviously was tired of this too.

"I know. I don't want to let anyone down. But this is my first birthday without her."

"We all know this Harry. We all know this will be hard, specially knowing that her birthday is just days away as well. But we can be there for each other and make it through." Her face softened a bit.

"What if I slip up and have a drink?" Harry was looking down at his shoes. She was a bit shocked. This was the first time he had brought up this fear. She walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"I am so proud of how hard you have worked over the last month. I made sure that the strongest drink they will have is butterbeer." Harry's head snapped up at this statement.

"You told them about… about my problem?" He was obviously upset about this. She sighed.

"I told Molly and Arthur, both of whom love you and want to help you. They are the only ones." He nodded, showing his understanding and acceptance of the decision.

"We have to go or we will be late." She turned to the fireplace but was stopped by one more question.

"Will you be alright?" She turned to face him. Leave it to Harry to be concerned about how she would handle being around the Weasley family. "I mean you haven't been to a Weasley gathering since the divorce, except for Ginny's funeral."

"I think Molly and I have finally reached an understanding. I know she blames me for the divorce, but I think she is finally accepting it and willing to let it go, at least for today."

"What happened between you two? You two always had you moments, but you seemed to patch everything up eventually. You would argue but then you always manage to make up." Harry had never asked either of them that question, but now he wanted to know. He watched as his best friend's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"The the thing is we stopped fighting."

"What do you mean, that sounds like a good thing?"

"Once Hugo went off to Hogwarts, we spoke less and less to each other. After a while we realized that we were strangers living in the same house. When we argued, we at least knew where the other one stood. The arguing was just our way of showing our passion. And your right, we did always patch things up. But we eventually stopped arguing, stopped talking, stopped caring. And then…" She started to tear up. She could not finish her last thought.

"I'm sorry Hermione." He now felt crummy about bring this up. She wiped her eyes quickly and met his eyes.

"It's alright. It took us a while to realize that the way we were living was unhealthy. We tried counseling, but it did not really help. So we got the divorce. The funny thing it that I think Ron and I are communicating more now. Now, no more stalling. We have to go." This time She grabbed Harry's arms and dragged him to the fireplace.

As soon as Harry stepped out of the fireplace at the Burrow, he was engulfed by his youngest.

"We were afraid you wouldn't show up." She exclaimed as she hugged him tight.

"Lily, let him breath," James came over, and once Lily let go he also gave his dad a hug. Finally Albus came over and gave him a hug as well. Harry looked at his three children and smiled. He loved them so much. It was at this moment that he realized Ginny lived on through his children.

The family enjoyed each other's company and they had a lovely day. It was strange for Harry to see his nieces and nephews all grown up. Harry had fun playing with Teddy's children, even holding the newest baby. Finally as the sun began to set, the Weasley and Potter boys got together to do a fireworks show. Harry sat down in a chair and watched the boys argue and bicker about the best way to do it.

"Looks like you need a drink," George came over and handed Harry a glass. Harry face showed a bit of panic, which George picked up on. "Don't worry, it's just club soda. It's what I'm drinking" George sat down next to Harry and they sat there in silence for a bit before George spoke again.

"Hermione told me about your struggle." Harry started to open his mouth to say something, but George quickly interjected. "Don't be upset with her. I know she is worried about you. Be glad you have someone who will help you through it."

"How did you get past it?" Harry asked, remembering that George had gone through a similar struggle after his twin had died.

"After Fred died, I wanted to die as well and join him. But I could not bring myself to do that, so I drank. I figured if I drank enough, maybe I would forget about everything, or at least I wouldn't feel anything anymore." George paused as he took a drink. Harry nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Angelina was the one that saved me. She came into my flat one day and dumbed a bucket of water on me. She yelled at me and told me I was being stupid. She hasn't left my side since." Harry saw a smile form across George's face.

"Hermione dumped a bucket of water on me too." The two of them chuckled.

"She's a good woman. Ron really messed things up with her." George muttered as he took another drink. Harry was a little shocked to hear George side with Hermione. Harry looked around and found Hermione sitting with many of the aunts, probably grilling Rose and her fiancé about their wedding plans. It was good to see the family still accepting Hermione even though she technically was not a Weasley anymore.

"Harry, I want you to know that the pain never goes away. I know you have lost plenty of loved one in the past, but you need to hear this. The pain won't ever go away completely, but it will get easier to handle. But drinking won't help the process. Enjoying those that are still here with you will. We have always considered you a part of our family. You are my little brother. If you ever need anything, or get the urge to drink again, come to me." And with that George stood up and went over to his wife. He gave her a deep, passionate kiss, while their children made gagging noises. George's seat was soon filled by a familiar presence.

"Thank you for telling George." Harry said quietly to Hermione. She smiled back at him.

"I figured it would be good for you to have someone who has been in the same place as you have."

Finally the fireworks started up and the night sky filled with bright colors. Harry realized that his birthday had not been too bad. He really missed Ginny, but he still had a part of her with him. He had his memories and his children.


	8. Cuts and Bruises

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Harry Potter.

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><p>Harry and Ron each sat on a cot in a room at St Mungo. Their mission had gone wrong, and now their multiple injuries were being taken care of right now. Abruptly the door to their room slammed open. A very angry red head came into the room. Hermione followed Ginny in, calmer, but still obviously angry at the two men.<p>

"Harry James Potter! What were you thinking? You could have been killed! The two of you took on ten dark wizards. TEN! What made you think you could do that." Ginny screamed as her fiancé flinched back from her anger. When she took a breath Ron opened his mouth.

"We had bad intelligence Ginny. We did not realize there were more than five in that house." This just flared her up even more.

"You think that makes me feel better. That you TWO were going up against FIVE. Do you think your immortal? Just because you defeated the greatest dark wizard of our time, you think you can't be killed!" At this Hermione placed her hand on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny, although still visibly angry, stopped yelling.

"Ginny, I'm sorry. You are right, we were stupid." Harry knew that trying to explain things, or arguing would not make the situation better. The fewer words he said, the better the situation would be. Ginny burst into tears and fell to the floor. Harry, despite the protests from the healer, immediately went to her side and held her.

"I could have lost you." She managed to say through her sobs.

"It will take a lot more than a few dark wizards to get me to leave you. I promise you I am staying by your side." He placed a soft kiss on her lips. They sat there for a few minutes just holding each other, drinking in each other's presence.

* * *

><p>Harry stepped out of the fireplace to a wonderful smelling kitchen. Ginny always loved Halloween. Harry on the other hand did not, but he did enjoy the big feast Ginny always prepared. He looked around but didn't see his wife. He searched the house, but didn't find her.<p>

As he went from room to room, he realized how quiet the house was with out the children. He also realized how big it was. For years the house was filled with noise and activity, but now with all three children out of the house, the house was still and silent. Even Teddy didn't come around that much anymore.

When he walked into the master bedroom Harry heard the shower running in the bathroom. A smirk appeared on his face. He slowly opened the bathroom door, being careful not to make a sound.

"Need any help in there?" Harry asked in a husky voice.

"Oh Harry! I didn't know you were home." She peeked her head around the curtain.

"That's the problem with such a big house." Harry remarked as his wife disappeared behind the curtain again. "You know, maybe we should consider moving into a smaller place."

"A smaller space? But Harry, you love this house."

"I know but with the kids off to Hogwarts, I don't know if we need such a big place anymore. You know this is James' last year at Hogwarts." Harry leaned against the counter.

"It is true that for the two of us, this house is a bit much. Maybe we can look for a nice place that has a large enough garden and living room for gatherings, but not quite so many rooms." Ginny stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.

"Ginny! What happened to you?" Harry went up to Ginny and gingerly touched the bruise on her shoulder.

"Oh, I just bumped into something earlier today. It's no big deal." Ginny proceeded to dry off.

"No big deal? Ginny, you don't get a bruise like that from just bumping into something!" Harry was on the verge of freaking out.

"Really Harry. I will put some bruise balm on it and it will go away like the other bruises."

"Have you had a lot of these bruises lately?" Harry stared at his wife, noticing for the first time that she looked underweight. She had always been fit, but she was looking to skinny now.

"I have had a few. But Harry, it's not a big deal. I can take care of them with a simple potion." However she did not meet Harry's eyes when she said this.

"You should go see a healer. Please" Harry begged. Ginny wanted to protest, bit seeing the look in her husband's eyes she knew he would not back down.

"Alright, I will go see one tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Hermione was packing up for the day when a translucent white ram came into her office.<p>

"Aunt Hermione. I need your help. Dad has locked himself into his study."

Hermione quickly ran to the Floo fireplaces at the sound of her godson's voice. When she stepped into the kitchen she found a frazzled James pacing the kitchen.

"What happened?" She asked

"I'm not sure. I came over to see how dad was doing. You know how much he hates Halloween. He started to yell at me. I don't even know what he was yelling about. Then he went into his study and locked the door. I didn't know who else to contact." James was obviously concerned.

"You did the right thing James. I will see if I can get him out." Just then she saw the bottle on the counter. The empty bottle of firewhisky. "Shit! He's been drinking." And she rushed to the study door.

"Go away!" was response she got when she knocked on the door.

"Harry James Potter! You let me in right now!" Hermione yelled through the door. It took a few moments, but then she heard the door unlock. She entered to find the study in ruins.

"You know you could have unlocked it yourself. Your quite skilled at that." Grumble Harry.

"I could have, but I thought it was best if you opened the door for me. I did not want to be jinxed. So what's going on Harry? What brought this on?" She crossed her arms in front of her waiting for an answer.

"I fucking hate Halloween."

"So that gives you the right to drink a whole bottle of firewhisky and yell at you son?"

"I know I made a mistake! You don't have to throw it in my face!" Harry started to yell at her.

"Don't you take this out on me. You are the one who slipped up." She glared at Harry. He gave a frustrated yell and punched the telly. Glass fell everywhere, and Harry's hand was covered in cuts. He fell to the floor and sobbed. Hermione sighed and kneeled down beside him, being careful of the glass. She wrapped her gentle arms around him and pulled him into a warm embrace. They stayed that way for a while, until Harry calmed down.

"Let me look at your hand." He offered her the hand. "I think I can fix this up. Lets go sit on the couch." She helped him up and to the couch. She pulled out her wand. Very carefully she pulled out the pieces of glass still in his hand, and the healed up the cuts. She could see a faint bruise forming on his knuckles. "Do you have any bruise balm?"

"There is some upstairs, in the master bath. We had to keep a supply on hand with Ginny's illness."

"Don't move. I will be right back" With that Hermione ran up the stairs and found the balm. She then returned to apply it on Harry's hand. "It will be sore, but it should be alright. You should go and apologies to James."

"I will. Just give me a couple of minutes."

When Hermione entered the kitchen she found James sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Although he was not the spitting image of his father like Albus was, his mannerism were very much Harry. James looked up when he heard her come in. There was a look of concern on his face.

"My dad has a drinking problem, doesn't he?" Hermione sighed. She could never lie to her godson, but she didn't want to have this conversation.

"Yes he does. Your uncle George and I have been working with him. He hasn't had a drink in months. Of course he had to choose today to have a slip." James' head went back into his hands.

"What can I do to help?" He quietly said after a couple of minutes.

"I think right now your dad just need you to accept his apology. Then he needs you to love him, no matter what he does. It is probably best if you don't tell your brother and sister." She saw Harry walk through the kitchen doorway. "I better be getting home." She stood up and gave James a pat on the shoulder. As she Flooed away, she saw the father and son embracing.


	9. Christmas

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Harry Potter.

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><p><em>Harry awoke to a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. It took him a few minutes to remember that is was Christmas. He jumped out of bed and ran into the small living room. Ginny had been working hard on decorating the flat for their first Christmas together. He saw a pile of presents under the tree. A huge smile was plastered on his face.<em>

_Ginny walked out of the kitchen with a plate of sticky buns, a pot of hot chocolate, and two mugs. She saw her husband sitting on the floor in front of the tree like an impatient little kid. She sat down next to him and laid her load down on the floor in front of them. Before she knew it Harry had grabbed her and planted a deep passionate kiss on her lips. After several minutes, they finally parted._

_"What was that for?" Ginny asked._

_"I am just so happy." She laughed at her childlike husband. She figured it was the lack of Christmas celebrations when he was younger that made him so excited for Christmas._

_"Well go ahead and open your presents." She giggles as he snatched the packages with his name on them and tore the paper off of them. She then started opening her packages as well. It was a perfect morning._

* * *

><p><em>Harry waited at Platform 9 ¾ for his three children. Teddy stood next to his godfather. He had been a bit confused as to why Harry had asked him to come with him to pick up the kids, but he came along. It had been a while since he had seen the kids.<em>

_Lily was the first to spot them. She ran over and engulfed her dad in a hug. Albus and James found them soon after, although neither one came running over. They both patted Teddy on the shoulder and gave their dad a quick hug._

_Teddy noticed that Harry was very quiet on the ride to the Potter home. The kids were all animatedly talking about their term. It seems as if none of them noticed their father was acting differently than normal. Now Teddy knew something was up now._

_"Alright kids, put your trunks in your room, and then meet us in the living room. You mom has some biscuits fresh from the oven to welcome you home." The three of them ran to do what was asked. Teddy and Harry walked into the living room together. Teddy stopped in the doorway. His Aunt Ginny sat in one of the overstuffed chairs, but she did not look like her normal self. She had lost a lot of weight, and she had some really dark circles under her eyes. When she saw Teddy, she got up and gave him a hug._

_"We have missed you Teddy. I know you are busy at work and with your new wife, but you have to come and see us occasionally." She teased him. He tried to smile at her. Harry noticed his godson's reaction to seeing Ginny. Teddy had always been observant to subtle changes in people. Harry was glad the two of them had decided to tell the children and Teddy together before the big Weasley Christmas party._

_James, Albus and Lily all came in the room together, all three realizing something wasn't quite right. They looked over to Teddy to see if he had an answer, but he just shrugged his shoulders._

_"Have a seat you three. Your mother and I have to talk to you about something." They sat together on the couch, leaving room for Teddy to join them. Harry sat in another overstuffed chair, while Ginny returned to her chair. Ginny and Harry exchanged looks trying to decide how to start._

_"Your mother has not been feeling very well lately. At first we thought she was just overworking herself at work. Your mother finally agreed to go see a Healer."_

_"What's wrong Mom?" Lily started to tear up. They would only be talking to them about this if it were serious._

_"The Healers aren't entirely sure yet. They say that my body's immune system is not working properly. They have tried a couple of different potions, but nothing seems to help."_

_"The Healers are going to be trying some different things, but they don't know why your mother is sick." Harry continued._

_"How can they not know what is wrong with mom?" James exclaimed._

_"Healers don't know everything. There are still lots of things we don't know about the human body. There are new diseases being discovered and new treatments being developed all the time." Ginny tried to explain._

_"What if they don't find out what is wrong with you mom?" Albus quietly asked._

_"Well hopefully they will. But even if they don't I am sure they will find a potion or two that I can take to help me." Ginny tried to reassure her children._

_"You'll be alright mom. I know the Healers will find a cure." Lily optimistically exclaimed. James and Albus though glanced at each other. They both realized that what their parents weren't telling them was that there was a chance their mother would die. Teddy, who had been very quiet, stood up and walked out of the room. Harry got up and followed, leaving Ginny with their three kids._

_Harry had a feeling he knew where Teddy had gone. Sure enough he found his godson in the tree house the two of them had build when they first moved into the house. Teddy's face was buried in his arms, hiding the fact that he was crying. Harry sat down next to him._

_"It's not fair you know. Why do we have to keep losing people," Teddy tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. Grown men weren't supposed to cry. When he looked into Harry's green eyes though, he was surprise to see them brimming with tears._

_"I know it's not fair son. Both of us have lost to many people. But we cannot stop the inevitable from happening."_

_"I know," Teddy responded, still trying to stop crying. Harry wrapped his arms around his godson and held him for a while. It wasn't fair for him to lose Ginny, who had loved him as a mother. It wasn't fair that James, Albus, and Lily would lose their mother. It was not fair that Harry would lose the love of his life. But life isn't fair._

* * *

><p>Harry woke up and realized what day it was. He did not want to face this day. If only he could just stay in bed, but the kids were coming over this morning and then the Weasley Christmas was this afternoon. It was not going to be an easy day. Ginny had always been the one to make Christmas special.<p>

After a while Harry grudgingly got up out of bed. He knew it was pointless to stay in bed. He decided to get some hot chocolate ready for the kids when they showed up.

As he walked down the stairs he was surprised to see the lights on in the living room. To his surprise Lily had the boxes of Christmas decorations out and was putting everything in place. She reminded him so much of Ginny. When Lily noticed she wasn't alone she lost concentration and many of the decorations fell to the ground.

"I didn't mean to startle you Lil." Harry smiled at her. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I wanted to surprise you by decorating before you woke up. I know mom was always the one to decorate." Lily was looking down at her feet when she said this. Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Continue on. I will go make us some hot chocolate and then I can help you with some of the decorating." He went into the kitchen and made a large pot of hot chocolate, a Potter tradition on Christmas morning. He grabbed the pot and two mugs and returned to the living room. He was surprised to see his daughter sitting on the floor next to the boxes crying. He placed the pot and mugs down and sat down next to her, placing his arms around her shoulders.

"I miss her dad," Lily whisper.

"I know baby. We all do," Harry continued to hold her in his arms. Lily wiped her eyes, trying to calm down.

"I thought that if I decorated the house like she used to it would be like she was with us, but it just reminds me that she isn't here." The two of them sat there a few minutes taking comfort in each other. Then they heard the fireplace and soon after Albus stuck his head in the living room.

"Did you start the decorating without me?" Albus asked seeing all the boxes already out.

"We just got started. Conjure yourself a mug and we will decorate together." Harry informed his son. The three of them enjoyed the hot chocolate and helped each other decorate. In a couple of hours they had the living room decorated and they were sitting on the couch drinking more hot chocolate and eating sticky buns. James and Nicola arrived soon after and they opened gifts together and enjoyed the morning. Although it was not the usual joyous event that Christmas had always been with Ginny, The mourning family enjoyed themselves.

The family Flooed over to the Burrow for the Weasley Christmas dinner. The normally loud and lively dinner was filled with grief. Everyone tried to enjoy themselves, but the absence of Ginny prevented anyone from really enjoying themselves.

By sunset Harry found himself sitting next to George, both with a butterbeer in their hands.

"How are you doing with all of this? If I remember right Ginny was the Christmas person."

"Honestly, I don't know how I am doing. I am trying to keep it together for the kids. I don't know what I will do tonight when I am alone again." Harry's shoulders dropped

"That's always when it hits you that hardest, when you are alone." George wished he could offer his hurting brother-in-law some advice, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could say to make the situation any better.


	10. Baby Potter

I have been toying with the idea of putting dates for each section so you have an idea of when each event happened. let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: You should know by now that I am not JKR.

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><p><em>Harry ran down the hall of the ministry and over to the Floo fireplaces. He was going to kill Ron for this. When he reached the fireplaces, he fumbled with the powder and was barely able to say his destination clearly. He walked into his kitchen and found his mother-in-law glaring at him<em>

_"Where have you been? She had been asking for you. She is pretty upset that you are late." Molly gently chastised him. She could see he was a mess, so she took pity on him and helped him clean off the soot._

_"Have I missed it?" Harry managed to get out. Molly smiled at him._

_"No. She's waiting for you upstairs. The midwife says the baby will be here soon though, so you better hurry up." She ushered him upstairs, laughing quietly at her son-in-law's behavior. He was acting just like her husband had many years ago. Bill, George, and Percy had also been very flustered when their wives had given birth._

_Harry walked into the room to see his wife screaming in pain. Her red hair was soaked in sweat. When she saw him, her eyes flared up with anger._

_"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" She screamed. At that moment all Harry wanted to do was run away. He convinced himself that if he could face a crazy dark wizard, he could face his laboring wife. He walked to her side and grabbed her hand._

_"I'm sorry… I was out on an assignment, I did not get your message until I got back. Ron decided to leave me a note buried on my desk instead of trying to find me or sending me a patronus."_

_"I'll kill him." Ginny muttered. Harry had the same sentiment. Just at that moment, Ginny contracted and all thoughts about Ron left their mind._

_An hour later a loud cry was heard in the room. Harry was amazed at how loud the small child could be._

_"Congratulation! Welcome to the world baby boy Potter." The midwife handed Harry his first-born son. He stared down at the little bundle in his arms and was in awe._

* * *

><p><em>Harry woke up suddenly, not sure what had woken him up. He put his glasses on, grabbed his wand instinctively and looked around the room. He noticed that the bathroom light was on, and his wife was not lying next to him. Then he heard the sound of Ginny throwing up in the bathroom. That must have been what had woken him up.<em>

_The Healers had given Ginny some different potions to try, and all they really seemed to do was make her unable to keep food down. They wanted her to try it for another week to see if this side effect would subside. However it was torture to Harry having to watch his wife go through this._

_He quietly walked into the bathroom and sat next to his wife. He held her hair as she had another episode, and wiped her face with a moistened towel after she was done. She gave him a weak smile._

_"I didn't mean to wake you. I am sorry. It came on so suddenly that I did not have a chance to put a silencing charm up" She leaned against her strong husband._

_"You don't need to apologies." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead._

_"I think I am good now." Ginny said as she tried to get up. Harry helped her up, noticing how weak she was._

_"Do you want something to drink?" He asked as he helped her back into bed._

_"No, I'm fine. I just want to try and get some sleep." The two of them laid in bed for a while, neither one falling asleep. Harry gently stroked her hair_

_"Ginny, maybe you should talk to the Healers tomorrow. I don't think you should keep going with these potions. You can't keep anything down, and your losing more weight." He heard Ginny give a sigh._

_"Maybe your right. I have been on these potions for a week now and I can't even keep a little broth down."_

_"We will try another combination. We'll figure out the right combination eventually." Harry tried to reassure her. In the faint light he noticed her frowning._

_"Harry, we need to be prepared if they can't figure out how to heal me, or if they can't figure it out soon enough."_

_"No Ginny. They will figure it out, and you will be just fine." Ginny sighed again. Her husband's stubbornness was setting in, or maybe it was denial._

_"Harry, They may not. You have to accept the fact that I may die." He opened his mouth to start arguing again, but she put her hand over his mouth. "Just listen please. I want to be sure that you and the children will be alright. I know that the children are financially taken care of. But you need to also be there for the children." She removed her hand and let Harry think for a bit. He laid there in silence for a bit before she heard a silent response._

_"Of course I will be there for the children." Ginny was relieved. However now she needed to find someone to watch out for Harry._

* * *

><p>Harry was watching a Quidditch game on the tely when a familaiar white ram appeared. His son's panicked voice came from the patronus.<p>

"Dad, the baby is coming!"

Harry turned off the tely and rushed to the fireplace to Floo over to his son's house. He found his son pacing the kitchen, obviously waiting for his father.

"There you are. The midwife said it will be a couple more hours, but I knew you wanted to be here. Dad, I don't know what to do. Nicola is in pain, and I can't do anything." James would have kept going, but Harry quickly put a silencing charm on him.

"Son, calm down and take a breath." He watched his son's attempt at taking a break. Then he removed the charm. "All you can do is be by her side, which you are not right now, so go and join her. I will contact Albus and Lily."

James nodded and ran up the stairs two at a time to rejoin his wife and the midwife. Harry chuckled a bit, remembering when James was born.

He went over to his son's owl and wrote out two quick letter for Albus and Lily. Then after the owl had left, Harry had nothing to do but wait. He went into the living room, sat on the couch and turned the tely on. 30 minutes later the fireplace turned green and Lily walked out. Albus followed soon after her.

"Dad! Any news yet?" She came and sat next to her dad. He shook his head. Albus sat on one of the overstuffed chairs.

"Hey dad, why didn't you send us a patronus? It would have gotten to us much sooner." Albus watched his dad's shoulders slump a bit.

"I havn't been able to produce a patronus since your mother died." Harry responded quietly. He did not want to admit it, but he also wanted to be honest with his children. His daughter gave him a hug and they sat quietly together watching the Quidditch game on the tely and waiting for the new Potter baby to arrive. About an hour later the midwife came into the room.

"The new baby is here. I will let your son introduce you, but I thought you might like to know that mom and baby are doing great." She then went back upstairs. They did not have to wait very long before James walked into the room with a small bundle in his arms.

"Hey everyone. I want to introduce to you Ginevra Elizabeth Potter. We decided to name her after both of her grandmothers." James had the biggest smile on his face. Harry remembered that feeling. Watching his son show off his new daughter made Harry feel like maybe he could produce a patronus.

Then James handed Harry his new granddaughter. He looked down at her beautiful face. She had very light fuzz on her head. They would have to wait to see what her hair color would be, but he assumed it would not be the dark Potter hair. After fussing over her for a bit, James took baby Evra back up to Nicola.

Lily and Albus both left soon after, but Harry decided to stay for a bit longer. He thought about the face of his granddaughter. He started to tear up a bit knowing that his wife would never meet her, but he was not consumed with grief. He looked up when his son reentered the room.

"Are you ok dad?" James asked noticing his father's tears.

"Yeah. I am just remembering your mother. I remember the day you were born, and how happy the two of us were. I am so happy for you son." Harry stood up and gave his son a hug.

"Were you scared?" James asked very quietly while in his father's arms. Harry had to chuckle a bit.

"Of course I was. I was scared that I would be a bad father, that I would mess up your life, that I would make some huge mistake. But I had your mother by my side. You have Nicola, and she has you. You will both be great parents." James smiled at his father.


	11. Future Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><em>Harry sat by the pond at the Burrow. He had been sitting there for a couple of hours. He had so many different things on his mind. It had been three weeks since the final battle, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not stop thinking about what he could have done differently to prevent the deaths that had occurred. He also kept thinking about what he was going to do next and the offer Kingsley had given him.<em>

_He heard some quiet footsteps behind him. He looked and found the other thing that kept his mind busy. Ginny smiled at him and sat down next to him._

_"Are you thinking about Kingsley's offer?" She asked quietly as she picked up a stone and skipped it across the pond._

_"Among other things. I just don't know what to do."_

_"Harry, honestly, I think you are over thinking this."_

_"It's not that easy Ginny. I have wanted to be an Auror for so long, but am I really cut out for that type of work? I mean I made a lot of mistakes when I was out hunting Horcruxes with Ron and Hermione. And Hogwarts has always been my home. Part of me would love to return there, but I know it won't be the same as before. I know Hermione has already said she will be returning to Hogwarts in the fall. Ron I think is leaning toward Auror training. Ginny what do you think?" Harry turned to face the beautiful young women sitting next to him. She sat there quietly for a bit then turned to look him in the eye._

_"You should take Kingsley's offer. I really don't see you going back to Hogwarts. I know this is what you are meant to do." She looked away and quietly added, "Although I will miss you."_

_Harry reached out his hand and grabbed hers. "I will too, but it will only be for a year. And then we can figure out what our future together will be like."_

* * *

><p><em>Harry walked into the hospital room to find Lily sitting in a chair studying a book and Albus talking with his mother. Ginny and Harry had not been happy when the Healers told them she had to remain in the hospital for the next few weeks. That meant that Albus and Lily were spending most of their Easter break at the hospital.<em>

_Lily looked up from her book and saw her dad. She smiled and put her book down._

_"Hi sweetheart. How is studying going?" He asked his daughter. She would be taking her OWLS in a few weeks, so she was spending a lot of time working on her studies._

_"Alright. I think I need a break though." She smiled._

_"Hey, there's a sister behind that book!" Albus joked with Lily._

_"Some of us actually need to study in order to do well in school." Lily threw Albus a glare. Harry smiled. Albus was a natural intellect, like his grandmother Lily. Both James and Lily had to work harder in school, which sometimes caused some conflict between the siblings._

_"Don't you worry dear," Ginny tried to calm the situation. "I had to study hard in school too. But you do need to take some breaks as well."_

_"I know. I just want to make sure I pass my OWLS so I can take the NEWTS I need." Lily said._

_"So have you decided what you want to pursue then?" Harry asked his daughter. Last time future careers came up, Lily had been unsure of what she wanted to do._

_"I think I have." Lily said quietly. She looked at her father and then at her mother in the bed. She took a breath before revealing to her parents what she was working so hard towards. "IwanttobeaHealer." She said quickly._

_"Slow down dear and speak clearly." Ginny said._

_"I want to be a Healer." Lily repeated. Her parents and bother stared at her. "I want to help people, just like the Healers have been helping mom." She was soon engulfed by her father. Ginny would have hugged her as well, except she was not allowed to get up._

_"It's a lot of work to become a healer." A voice said from the doorway. Ginny's head Healer came in. Healer Conroy walked over to Ginny's bed and did a quick diagnostic charm. After looking over the results he turned back to Lily. "You have to be determined and hard working. You also have to put your emotions aside while you work with your patients. If you would like you could shadow me during my rounds tomorrow."_

_"I would love to." Lily enthusiastically responded. She looked to her parents to make sure they were ok with it._

_"Alright, I will meet you tomorrow morning." Healer Conroy left after confirming with Lily. Harry had to admit that although Conroy was not a "warm and fuzzy" sort of guy, he knew what he was doing, and he showed he cared for his patients in his own way._

* * *

><p>Harry saw Neville waiting for him at the entrance of Hogwarts. Neville had invited Harry to lunch. He found it a bit fishy, but since he hadn't seen his friend in a while he agreed to it. After a warm greeting, the two old friends walked up to the entrance.<p>

"So how is retired life treating you?" Neville asked.

"I am board out of my mind," Harry responded causing Neville to laugh.

They walked into the Great Hall and walked to the head table. Harry though was distracted midway by the sight of a Gryffindor student sitting at the Slytherin table. Neville noticing what Harry was staring at chuckled again and stood next to Harry.

"It's not an uncommon sight anymore to see students of different houses sitting together. I believe it all began with the Weasley and Potter cousins sitting with each other occasionally. But Albus and Scorpius were the ones to break the Gryffindor and Slytherin barrier." Harry laughed at his statement. As they continued to walk up to the head table Harry did notice other student's sitting with their friends from other houses. He felt proud of his son who had helped break down that wall.

After a pleasant lunch, Neville showed Harry around. Although the castle mostly remained the same as it had been since they had been in school, there were a lot of changes made to the staff and the curriculum. Neville had worked hard at adding some "muggle" classes such as arithmetic and composition. He also persuaded the governors to add in more electives.

"I'm impressed Neville. You have only been headmaster for two years and you have done so much for this school." Harry praised his friend.

"Well I do have to admit that many of the changes have been in the works for years, but I was just the lucky one to figure out the logistics and actually get the approval from the governors." Finally they reached the familiar gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office. "Gillyweed." Neville said as Harry chuckled.

Harry stepped into the office and smiled. He had been in the office many times, but each headmaster brought their own character into the office. Everywhere he saw, Harry found plants. Neville had found a way to create artificial sunlight for his plants so they could thrive in the office away form natural light.

"So you are probably wondering why I asked you here today," Neville said as they both sat in a pair of comfortable chairs. Harry nodded. "Well I find myself in a situation where I am in need of a Defense Teacher. My current professor is finishing up the year, but has a great opportunity that he just cannot pass up. I would like to offer you the position."

Harry sat there stunned. He knew there had been an ulterior motive to Neville asking him here today however he had not expected this.

"I don't know Neville. I have enjoyed my guest lectures, but I don't technically have a masters in Defense."

"Really Harry, the only reason you don't have a masters is because you never went through the formal process. However I believe all of you work is proof in itself that you have the qualifications to teach Defense. I talked to the Board of Governors already and they have approved your appointment shall you accept it." Neville knew Harry needed convincing, so he had been prepared.

"I am sure there are plenty of others out there that could take this position." Harry was still not convinced.

"Yes, there are many out there that would be good teachers and would be willing to take the job, however YOU are the one I want. You have helped to change the ministry, and I want you by my side as I continue to change Hogwarts. Also I want someone that will be committed for the long run." Neville could tell that he was wearing Harry down.

"I just don't know Neville. I have always thought that at some point I would like to come and teach, I'm just not sure if this is the right time." Harry was still hesitating.

"Harry, I believe this is the right time. You are no longer at the ministry. You can still help with the Auror training during the summer if you would like. This will give you something to do and give you a purpose." Neville kept eye contact with his friend. Harry broke the contact and gave a sigh.

"Alright, you win." Neville smiled brightly at his friend.

"We can hammer out the details later. We will need to meet with the Board of Governors to get your contract set up. I also would like you to meet with Professor _ to look over the curriculum. I also have one more request."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"I would like you to be the head of Gryffindor." Harry stared at him and opened his mouth to argue. "I don't need an answer today. I just want you to think about it."

"I will think about it. I unfortunately must be going. I have a date with a beautiful young lady, and if I am late she will not be happy." Harry stood up and shook Neville's hand.

"Lily did inherit Ginny's temper." He chuckled knowing who Harry was referring to.


End file.
